So you took a good look at your Monstera and realized it's high time Alfredo started making babies. Maybe this amigo is slowly taking over your living room with its leaves, or maybe you just want to expand your Urban Jungle with a few baby Alfredos - either way, cuttings are the bomb! In addition to being the cheapest way to get new amigos, it is also extra cool to create your own plant family - and only then are you a REAL plant mom / dad. We'll help you tackle this, but luckily, cutting a Monstera is quite easy!
Check out all our Monstera plants!
What do you need?
- An Alfredo that is completely ready to become plant dad, preferably one with aerial roots
- A sharp knife / scissors that are clean
Depending on whether you put the cutting in water or soil:
- A (transparent) glass with lukewarm water
- Small growing pot and decorative pot
- Potting soil
- Aerial roots
Before we do the deed, it is useful to know a little more about aerial roots. Alfredo is a strange plant. Where most amigos have their roots at the bottom of their stems, in Alfredo they also grow on the rest of the stem, even above the soil. These aerial roots may look a bit different from the regular roots of your other plants, but the aerial roots can be recognized by the small, brown buds that can grow into long strands.
Not every Monstera immediately has aerial roots. We advise you to hold off cutting your amigo until Alfredo does have them. You can propagate the Monstera without aerial roots, but it often fails. Fortunately, almost all Monsteras eventually develop aerial roots, and a nodule of an aerial root is enough to get started with cuttings!
Search for the right stem
This first step is super easy: you look for a suitable stem to take cuttings from. Choose a stem that consists of only one leaf, this allows your cutting to focus better on new leaves instead of maintaining the existing leaves. Multiple leaves also increase the chance that your cutting will dry out, as a Monstera evaporates water through its leaves. As mentioned above, it is also important that you choose a stem that contains an aerial root. New roots will eventually emerge from the aerial root with which you can repot the Monstera.
If you are happy with your chosen stem, get a clean pair of scissors or a knife so that bacteria doesn't stand a chance with your amigo. Then cut the stem diagonally 5 centimeters below the aerial root. This gives you a better chance of root growth. After you have cut the stem, you can put it in water or soil.
Place the cutting in the water
Make sure to pick up a glass with enough room for Alfredo's future roots. We don't want them to get stuck! To keep a close eye on Alfredo (ha), we recommend that you put it in a transparent glass. Alfredo doesn't like cold feet, so make sure the water is lukewarm instead of cold. Cuttings hate cold! Just make sure you change this water every week, to keep it fresh. Finally, it is important that the leaf does not hang in the water, as it will mold.
Now comes the toughest part; being patient! After a few weeks or maybe even months, roots will develop. Don't put too much pressure on Alfredo. This green friend does everything in its time. When the new roots are at least 5 inches long, you can transfer Alfredo to potting soil. Tip: put Alfredo in a nursery pot, and put that pot inside a decorative pot. We do this with all our plants so that excess water can easily disappear, and the roots do not rot due to excess water.
Make sure the soil is moist. After all, Alfredo just got out of a glass of water and is used to a lot of water! Eventually you can give Alfredo a little less water, if he is a bit more used to his new home. When you've just placed Alfredo in the pot, press the soil down well so that there is no air around the roots. These roots cannot get water from the air!
Put cuttings in soil
You can also choose to put your new cuttings in the ground immediately after cutting. The advantage of this is that your new green friend does not have to get used to the water, and it also saves you some effort. A disadvantage of this way is that you cannot tell how Alfredo is doing with developing his new roots. If you choose this method, it is important that you find a suitable pot, not too large. Then fill this pot with potting compost and make sure that the aerial root is under the ground and that you have pressed the soil well so that there is no air around the roots.
Take care of your cutting
Cuttings are actually like toddlers. They are very sensitive and you have to pay close attention to them, because before you know it something will go wrong. We recommend that you place them in a place where there is enough daylight and they are not in direct sunlight. As we said before, Monstera cuttings hate cold. Try to make sure that it never gets colder than 15 degrees where the cuttings are. Is that a challenge in your home? You could possibly create a mini greenhouse yourself by pulling a plastic bag over your cutting. Make sure that you air it now and then, otherwise mold will develop. No plastic bags in the house? No worries, if necessary, lie down next to it for warmth. ;) Good luck!
With the above steps, you should certainly succeed in expanding that plant family of yours. Want to buy a good amigo first? Then search through our Plant Finder or Indoor Plants page for your perfect green friend! Looking for more inspiration? Follow us on Facebook and Instagram!
